Right Online Conference: Michelle Malkin

posted at 2:10 pm on July 19, 2008 by Ed Morrissey

I missed most of Michael Steele’s excellent address, unfortunately, as I scrambled to get some lunch before Michelle took the stage. I’m hoping that Americans for Prosperity will have the video of it available on its website soon. His call to action and sacrifice on behalf of conservative principles had a deep impact on the gathering, and it reminded us of why we value Steele. He expertly mixed the personal, the philosophical, and the political. Steele urged all of us to go tell the story of our cause. “This is our moment,” Steele insists, and we can still seize it.

Michelle followed Steele after a brief awards ceremony. Introduced as a “hero to the blogging community” and a “leading voice of the Right on line,” she got a standing ovation from the audience as soon as she appeared on stage. She started off by ripping Wesley Clark and defending John McCain. No, really! Clark had thanked the Netroots Nation for defending him against the “right-wing freak machine”, and she had a lot of fun with his idea that “drawing chalk flowcharts for ACORN” is better preparation for President than leading the largest squadron in the Navy.

The primary concern for these activists, Michelle says, is to defend what’s Right — and what’s right. Sometimes that means sometimes opposing people who are purportedly on our side, and especially those who say we need to be more like the Left in tactics and strategy. “I reject the MSM narrative,” Michelle stated, on the importance of campaign fundraising, especially since the advent of the blogosphere.

Before the New Media, rejection letters were the rule for writers and opiners. Thanks to the Internet, self-publishing has set us free from elitist “gatekeepers” who decide what opinions are worthy of publication. That has democratized political thought and allowed conservatives to bypass the MSM filter.

“There should be no self-esteem crisis among the right-wing blogosphere,” Michelle told the audience. We have a long string of policy and media victories, and don’t need to apologize for anything. It was mostly the right-wing blogosphere who promoted the Move America Forward telethon that raised over $1.5 million for soldiers in war zones, three times the original goal. Gathering of Eagles, Protest Warriors, American Sheepdogs — conservatives are doers, not just talkers.

We don’t need a change of tactics — we just need more conservatives to engage. Hit hard, hit fast, hit often. Regardless of how many readers each of us have, each blog post helps defend this Constitutional republic.

I’ve said this before. Michelle Malkin, by creating Michellemalkin.com and Hotair.com has made the Drudge Report nearly obsolete. I don’t go to Drudge first anymore, I come here or her site. Why? These sites are more up to date, choose better topics quicker and the analysis is second to none. That alone makes her a giant.

That’s kind of you to say, but Drudge’s traffic is still orders of magnitude larger than ours. Let’s not kid ourselves.

Allahpundit on July 19, 2008 at 2:23 PM

Sure his brand is huge, he isn’t as much of a niche and he’s gone pseudo-liberal and tab. I work for the VRWC. I guess the best praise I can give you is people who work in my business now tend to check you guys out before they go to Drudge. Not to mention yours, Ed’s and Michelle’s analysis of stories is as good if not better than anything written in the MSM and online.

Give it time. The more Michelle is out in front of an audience, wherever that may be, the more name recognition and traffic. I first learned about Hotair when she was a commenter on O’Reilly and the website was displayed beneath her name. I wanted to know more and thought I’d see what it was all about. Then I searched to see if she had her own website. I’ve been here ever since and following her progress. Drudge doesn’t even interest me.

I hope Michelle is right. But, I fear not. This isn’t just a matter of unregulated speech and occasional forays into action by various groups. The left is really organized guys. They have taken control of the media and the education system by infiltration. Control of elected offices has, by extension, given them control of the judiciary and the bureacracies. Control of the government workers unions creates a money feedback loop that benefits the politicians.

I’m not sure that writing a blog and holding a rally is going to cut it. We’re going to have to get control of the political offices and hold them, for decades, against the storm of media criticism and union-funded attack ads. These offices will have to be held until the current crop of bureaucrats and judges can be retired out. Until the schools can be completely overhauled to eliminate leftist influence. Until the MSM finishes destroying itself (this is one potential bright spot). The people we elect to office will have to have the stones to do all this and break the employees unions, besides. I don’t know where we’re going to get these people, or how we’re going to keep them there.

I’m joining in the standing ovation for Michelle, from my place here on the sidelines.

Hit hard, hit fast, hit often. Regardless of how many readers each of us have, each blog post helps defend this Constitutional republic.

Keep up the good work! A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Thank you Michelle Malkin, Ed Morrissey and Allahpundit for all you do and for providing a forum for the rest of us to contribute as best we can.

I was disappointed that Michael Steele was not considered for the VP slot. His presence alone would trump the “race card” issue once and for all, and he would be a voice for a growing number of African-Americans who just HAVE to be tired of Jesse Jackson representing them. He would also solidify the conservative base, as opposed to the country-club neo-con Rockefeller Republicans (hey, I’m just sayin’…) that McCain is brooding over now.

I’ve said this before. Michelle Malkin, by creating Michellemalkin.com and Hotair.com has made the Drudge Report nearly obsolete. I don’t go to Drudge first anymore, I come here or her site. Why? These sites are more up to date, choose better topics quicker and the analysis is second to none. That alone makes her a giant.

AYNBLAND on July 19, 2008 at 2:19 PM

I still go to Drudge, but I do have to say Hot Air has become my first go to site and second Michelle Malkin.

As for Michael Steele, he would be a great choice for VP, but for some reason he is not considered. By the days, it seems Romney will get it.

I’ve left the conference energized. Hearing Michelle was the absolute highlight (and shaking Ed’s hand, too, on the way out!). Steele, too, was invigorating, as was Norquist, Erick Erickson of RedState.com and Texas’ own Michael Williams. I wish more of you guys had been there. What a great group of folks! Makes me want to go down to 6th street tonight and harass the nutroots.

That’s kind of you to say, but Drudge’s traffic is still orders of magnitude larger than ours. Let’s not kid ourselves.

Allahpundit on July 19, 2008 at 2:23 PM

Not to apple-polish, but I agree completely with AYNBLAND. Drudge is recycled crap, sometimes from months ago. His only claim to quality used to be that he published news the the lib networks had censored, from their own people.

Now he just publishes tabloid crap from the UK and old, sensational stories for traffic. He sucks, and is utterly irrelevent for news-seekers. This site is priceless, by comparison.

Not to apple-polish, but I agree completely with AYNBLAND. Drudge is recycled crap, sometimes from months ago. His only claim to quality used to be that he published news the the lib networks had censored, from their own people.

That’s all fine but 50 million Drudge fans (or whatever the actual number is) can’t be wrong. For every one of our readers who prefers HA there are 100 people who prefer Drudge.

MM rocks but please stop with the comparisons to Drudge. They are in different leagues. Michelle caters to politically active, know-it-alls on the right. Druge caters to the devil on our collective shoulders.

For one, MM pays attention to journalistic best standards and practices. HA and MM both can be a little rahrah for my tastes at time, but the writing is excellent.

Drudge is a crap writer with marginal reporting and sourcing skills. He is however the biggest name in media in our lifetimes…until the next one.

You morons dismissing him to suggest that he has peaked are the exact reason it takes 12 jurors to hash out “the truth.” Your perspectives are limited to your own experiences much like a newborn who does not understand object permanence.

Sure his brand is huge, he isn’t as much of a niche and he’s gone pseudo-liberal and tab. I work for the VRWC. I guess the best praise I can give you is people who work in my business now tend to check you guys out before they go to Drudge. Not to mention yours, Ed’s and Michelle’s analysis of stories is as good if not better than anything written in the MSM and online.

As for Drudge/Hot Air/MichelleMalkin dot com, it’s apples and oranges. HA and MM are not perfect and I sure miss the Vents and weekly Jihad Watch etc. but they certainly are the best of all the other offerings out there.

These conferences are a great idea.
I’ve plugged for the like.
Too bad they don’t give/get much advance notice.
Maybe conservative blogs can have a regular spot to reference what’s coming up and where, at least to post pre-registration links for regular site members to screen off ubertards from crashing the party.

I start with Drudge but Hot Air is my second site each morning to find out what’s really going on. Then on to other sites. The web has completely replace Newspapers and TV News for me and I don’t miss them one bit!

I start with Drudge but Hot Air is my second site each morning to find out what’s really going on. Then on to other sites. The web has completely replace Newspapers and TV News for me and I don’t miss them one bit!

sabbott on July 19, 2008 at 4:15 PM

It sounds like we’re kindred spirits, at least in terms of media consumption.

And I’d just like to reiterate what someone else earlier said…comparing Drudge to HA is like apples and oranges…their “raison d’etre” is entirely different.

Personally, I do not visit Drudgereport that often. I have a good list of websites to read when I sit in front of this monitor. Since April the American Thinker is usually first, The Anchoress, local papers from Ft. Walton Beach, Pensacola and Pittsburgh then MM and then Hot Air.

1GooDDaDDy on July 19, 2008 at 4:09 PM
I enjoy differing opinions. Most of us do. But I, like many others, have a low tolerance for the lowball inanity some of you dumkopfs spill.
Just ignore my comments and you won’t have to soil your panties any more.
The Race Card on July 19, 2008 at 6:37 PM

Tuff guy huh? Is that how you talk to everyone you come across? I’m surprised you still have fingers to type with if you do

When you’re posting under an assumed kick name.

You just can’t get the hint.

Shut-up with that asinine and insulting name calling. It’s not what this place is all about. Go to the HufPo or KOS Kids site and do it there.

You would fit right in with those folks.

Your language is only more proof that as a country we are quickly sinking to new lows of degradation and acceptance of trash talk.

Add me to the list supporting what Glynn and 1GooDDaDDy is saying…it’s people like The Race Card who have really spoiled what used to be a far more civil and respectful site when it came to user comments. Sometimes I forget that I’m probably not the only one who thinks like this.

I agree — Drudge is pokey and really just a clipping service. But reading this stuff in context with the the interpretations put forth by Michelle, you (Ed) and Allah is far more worthwhile… by a mile!

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